Two-speed drive



Aug. 30, 1949. J. H. HOLSTEIN 2,430,136

, TWO-SPEED DRIVE Filed Sept. 11, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,Iu hn H- HID-1.5:; EirL 7 Au 30, 1949. J. H. HOLSTEIN I 2,

TWO-SPEED DRIVE Filed Sept. 11, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 jwuontop 1949- J. H. HOLSTEIN Z,48@,l36

TWO SPEED DRIVE Filed Sept. 11. 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Aug. 30,1949

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TWO-SPEED DRIVE J ohn H. Holstein, Chicago, 111.

Application September 11, 1946, Serial No. 696,328

2 Claims. (Cl. 74-768) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

The invention described in the specification and claims may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purpose without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to an improvement in two-speed drives and is designed more particularly to provide a device for traversing the rotatable platform of an anti-aircraft gun mount. In laying an anti-aircraft gun on an aircraft target, it has been found that, if the traversing mechanism has a low gear ratio for the hand wheel drive, the tracker can lay the gun quickly on the target. However, such ratio is too coarse to permit accurate tracking ofthe target, which requires that the traversing device be provided with a high gear ratio sufficiently fine for accurate tracking. Heretofore, traversing devices have had dual driving means to afford the requisite two gear ratios for coarse and fine traversing, which were selective by means of a conventional gear shift. Such devices have proven unsatisfactory for the reason that the necessary operation of the gear shift diverts the attention of the tracker, tending to cause him to lose the target. Also, it is obvious that the functioning of a conventional gear shift necessarily causes a momentary interruption of the gear drive sufiicient to seriously afiect the operation of the device to prevent the required accuracy of tracking.

This invention provides means whereby the platform can be constantly rotated for coarse and fine traversing of the gun, alternatively, the tracker optionally actuating the device by selection of either of two gear ratios, freely changing from one to the other without interruption of the tracking. Moreover, the structural details of the improved device are so designed and related that the tracker can modify the driving gears without diverting attention from tracking the target.

The particularly novel feature of the improved device is the combination of two sun wheels actuated by the handwheel and provided with sets of planetary gears, respectively, which drive the traversing gear at high and low speed, respectively, and pedal-operated means for selective adjustment for alternative operation of the planetaries. The combination is such that rotation of the handwheel constantly impels the traversing gear uninterfered by the operation of adjusting the planetaries, so that tracking is uninterrupted.

While there is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter fully described one specific embodiamended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) ment of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not considered to be limited to said specific embodiment reference for its scope being made to the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of an anti-aircraft gun and mount, showing the improved traversing device mounted on the rotatable platform of the mount.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan of the traversing device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a greatly enlarged vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. l is a vertical section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 5-6 of Fig. 4, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical section on the line 1-! of Fig. 2, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2, in the direction of the arrows.

As illustrated in the drawings, the improved device is designed for traversing a mm. antiaircraft gun on a mobile mount. The gun l is carried in the trunnion bearings 2 on the rotatable platform 3 supported on ball bearings (not shown) by the carriage 4. A ring gear 5 on the carriage 4 co-acts with traversing pinion 6, for rotating platform 3 (Fig. 3). Pinion 5 is driven by a vertical shaft 1 journalled in a hollow pillar 8 mounted on platform 3, and provided at its upper end with miter gear 9 which is disposed in casing l0 mounted on top of pillar 8. Journaled in casing In, there is a horizontal driving shaft ll provided on its end exterior to casing It with an operating hand crank l2. Keyed on shaft ll, there is a sun gear I3 meshing with a pair of planetary gears l'4 disposed symmetrically on diametrically opposite sides of gear l3 (Figs. 4 and 5) and rotatably mounted on stub shafts I5 mounted in radial arms it of a spider l1 rotatably mounted on shaft H and provided with a sleeve l8 loose about shaft H. A miter gear l9 (Fig. 3) is keyed to sleeve I8 and meshes with the miter gear 9 on' shaft 1. Keyed on shaft ll, adjacent sun gear l3 (Figs. 3 and 5) there is a second sun gear 20 meshing with a pair of planetary gears 2| disposed symmetrically on diametrically opposite sides of gear 20 (Figs. 3 and 4) and rotatably mounted on stub shafts 22 mounted in radial arms 23 of the spider ll. It

will be noted (Fig. 4) that the planetary gears l4 and 2| are so mounted on spider I? that the pair of gears I4 are so disposed relative to the pair of gears 2|, that the four planetary gears are symmetrically disposed about driving shaft II. Planetary gears I4 (Fig. mesh with an internal ring gear 24 on a drum rotatably mounted on sleeve I8, and planetary gears 2| (Figs. 3 and 4) mesh with an internal ring gear 26 on a drum 21 rotatably mounted on shaft II. It will be noted (Figs. 3 and 5) that the radial arms I6 and 23 of the spider H are so relatively dimensioned as to dispose their planetary gears I4 and 2|, respectively, in the adjacently disposed drums 25 and 21, respectively, as well as in mesh with the adjacently disposed sun gears I3 and 26, respectively.

Disposed about the periphery of. the drum 25, there is a brake-band 29 with a brake lining 29; One end 29-11 of the band 28 is adjustably anchored by a pin 36: in a clevis 3| which is swiveled on a bolt 32 threaded in a lug 33 disposed on the interior of an extension casing l9-a of the casing I9. Bolt 32 has a slot 34 in its outer end to allow adjustment of bolt 32 in lug 33, and a lock nut 35 is provided on outer portion of bolt 32. Theother end 28b of the band 28 is attached to pin 36 on crank arms 3'5 fixed to rock shaft 38-journaled in casing Iii-a.

Disposed about the periphery of the drum Zl, there is a brake-band 39 with a brake lining 69. One end 39-11 of the band 39 is adjustably anchored by a* pin 4| in a clevis 62 in which is rotatably mounted a bolt '43 threaded in a lug 24 disposed on the interior of the casing Ill-a. Bolt 43 has a slot 45 in'its outer end to allow adjustment of bolt 53 in lugd and a lock nut 46 is provided on the outer part of bolt 43. The other end 39-4) of the band-39 is attached to pin 5'! on crank arms 48 splined on rock shaft 38 adjacent arms 3'! (Fig. 5).

One end 38-a of rock shaft 38 extends exterior to casing |6-a and has fixed thereon a crank arm 49 pivoted to the-female member 59 of a telescopic link, the male member 5| having a crank arm 52 keyed torock shaft 53. An expansion spring 54 is interposed between members and 5| to bias them apart. Rock shaft 53 is journaled in bearings 55 and 56 mounted on the superstructure'of platform 3, and provided on its end adjacent bearing 56 with a'crank arm 5! to which is pivoted a pitman 58 (see Figure 7) adjustably pivoted to crank arm 59'on rock shaft to journaled in brackets 6| on platform 3. A sleeve 62 fixed to shaft Iill'carries a foot pedal 63 having the portion 64 forward'of and above the axis of shaft 69, and the .portion 55 to the rear and below the axis ofshaft 60.

A seat 66, for theoperator'of the device, is so disposed on platform 3 relative to handle I2 and pedal 63 that the right hand and right foot of the operator are positioned for operation of handle I2 and pedal 63, respectively.

From the foregoing description of the details of constructionof thedevice, its use and operation are obvious. Whentheparts are positioned as shown in the drawings, the pedal 63 through its linkage to shaft '53: holds the telescopic link 5Il5| expanded toposition link 49 downwardly (Figs. 2, 5 and-8) therebypositioning rock'shaft 38 to'cause crank arms to tension brake-band 39 about (111171121 sufficiently to preventits rotation (Fig. 4). It-willbe notedthat"the crank arms 31 and the crank arms =48Jare so relatively disposed on rock-shaft '38 thatwhen armsids tension band 39 on drum 21, the arms 31 are positioned to relax brake-band 28 from drum 25 to permit its rotation, and vice-versa. The drum 2'! being braked, it is obvious (Fig. 4) that, when sun gear 29 is rotated by shaft I driven by crank I2, it will cause its planetaries 2| to travel on ring gear 26 on stationary drum 27, thereby rotating spider H, on which planetaries 2| are mounted, and through sleeve I8, miter gears I9 and 9, shaft 7 with its pinion 6, and ring gear 5, rotate platform 3 about its axis, relative to carriage 4, traversing gun I. Because of the relative diameters of the sun gear 2%) and its planetaries 2| (Fig. 4), the gun I is traversed at the higher speed suitable for laying the gun quickly on the target. As above described, the device is normally conditioned for this form of traversing. Should the operator wish to shift from high speed, coarse traversing, after he has laid the gun "on the target, to low speed, fine traversing for accurate tracking, he rocks pedal 63. to depress its forward portion 64 (Fig, 7), rocking shaft 60 to move crank arm 59 upwardly, elevating pitman 58' and crank arm 51, to rock shaft 53 (Fig. 1). This movement of shaft 53 swings crank arm 52 upwardly compressing telescopic link 56--5I until itpasses dead-center (Fig. 8) when it expands, under force of spring 56, to its position shown in'dott'ed lines. This action raises crank arm 49., rocking shaft 38 to cause arms 3'! to tension brake-band 28 about drum 25 to prevent its rotation and simultaneously cause arms as to relax band 39 from-drum 2'! to permit itsrotation. Y

It will be noted (Fig. 3) that during the abovedescribed operation of high speed traversing, sun gear I3 is rotated'by'shaft |;,.driving'its planetaries I4, and that While planetaries' I4 travel with spider I'I onwhich theyare mounted, they exert no driving impulse to. spider I since they merely rotate loose drum 25Jthrough its ring gear 24. However, when drum 25 isbraked, as above described, .planetaries I4 lthen exert driving force on spider I! which hasbeenrelieved-of the driving force of .plan'etaries 2| since their drum 2! has been released to rotate. Because-of the'rela- Having described my invention, what I claim- 1. In a mrilti-speeddrive for angularly moving a gun, thecombin-ationof adrivingshaft; a spider journaled on said shaft coaxially therewith; four radial armson sai'dfspider; astub'shaft'on each arm parallel with saiddriving shaft; a planetary gear journaledoneachstubshaft, said four gears being symmetrically disposed about said driving shaft and'comprising'two sets'of two'gears each, the two *gearsof each setbein'g on diametrically opposite sidesof said driving shaft, said two sets being relatively spaced axially of said driving shaft; a pair of sun gears'of different pitch diameters fixed on said driving shaft each meshing with the planetary gears of a respective set; said spider including a sleeve 'journaled on said driving shaft; a" driven shaft; gear means connecting said sleeve and said driven shaft; a first drum joumaled on said driving shaft; a second drum journaled on said sleeve, each of said drums having an internal ring gear, each said ring gear meshing with the planetary gears of a respective one of said sets; first and second brake bands each contractible about a respective drum to brake the same, a first shaft movable from a first to a second rotative position, means operated by said shaft when in said first position to contract said first brake band and simultaneously release said second hand and when in second position to contract said second brake band and simultaneously release said first band, and manually operated snap action means for moving and yieldingly holding said first shaft in 5 a selected one of said two positions.

2. In a drive as recited in claim 1, said lastnamed means comprising a second shaft parallel with said first shaft, first and second levers fixed to each shaft, one said lever comprising first and second telescoping parts, spring means urging one part radially outwardly, and means pivotally connecting said one part and the distal end of the other of said levers.

JOHN H. HOLSTEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 641,097 Gerard Jan. 9, 1900 812,886 Sears Feb. 20, 1906 958,515 Meigs et a1 May 1'7, 1910 1,505,083 Blair Aug. 19, .1924 2,306,476 Diener Dec. 29, 1942 2,382,110 Sheldrick et al Aug. 14, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 5.333 Great Britain Mar. 5, 1906 63,862 Switzerland Jan. 22, 1913 324,344 France Dec. 9, 1902 520,265 Great Britain Apr. 18, 1940 684,705 Germany Dec. 4, 1939 800,959 France May 11, 1936 

